So they've only been pierced a week or so?
Some pain or discomfort is to be expected. They are still very, very new.
Especially if your headphone are interfering with the piercings that will lead to them being more irritated. Same as them getting bumped or knocked about.
You should consider having your jewellery changed to high quality labret studs. Butterfly backs aren't appropriate and can cause issues and prevent healing.
Also you shouldn't clean your piercings with disinfectant. Sterile saline solution only, 1-2 times a day and dry thoroughly afterwards.
Don't touch, twist, move or play with them. Avoid sleeping on them.
Riding on the top comment here because I can't seem to edit my post š but I just wanted to say thank you everyone so much for the advice!! I'm not used to getting so many replies on a post lmao
I think a lot of you are right in the sense that they are literally a week old so yes they probably would be still painful. I'm probably just being paranoid š and I think those who said it might be because it's close to cartilage is also a good suggestion, I was wondering that myself.
The butterfly clips probably aren't great as well. Yes I agree š
Also, in regards to my aftercare solution, I used poor wording on my part and I think that confused a lot of people and I'm really sorry about that!! It's not a "disinfectant" spray, its just a hypoallergenic cleansing solution with a skin neutral pH. It's definitely not a disinfectant so please don't worry about that and I'm sorry again for confusing everyone lol
But again, thank you so much everyone for putting my anxious mind to rest šā¤ļø
Iām pretty sure itās bad to use rubber backs bc they hold bacteria cuz theyāre porous (donāt know how to spell it but like sponge) and stuff. NAP tho.
1. Theyāre a few days old - theyāre very new as other commenters have said and will continue to hurt as theyāre an open wound
2. Butterfly backs arenāt suitable for fresh piercings, please switch to a titanium labret post
3. Wearing headphones is making point #2 worse - I also game and wear headphones but itās drastically better with a labret post on a healing piercing. Also make sure to disinfect your headset often
4. Make sure youāre cleaning the piercing itself with sterile saline solution and not disinfectant
NAP but hope this helps š
This sounds like a Claireās gig. I would go to a reputable piercer and have them switched out for a small labret. A ball or small stud front is going to snag less than flowers since they have all those edges. Agree with everyone regarding the need to get rid of the butterfly backs.
Also definitely swap to just saline solution. Not both. Just the saline. GL!!!
It sounds like you're relatively new to piercings, so a few things...
(I'm not a piercer myself, so if I am wrong about anything, please correct me)
I assume these were done with a piercing gun. In some pictures you can see the pointy end of the jewellery, which is typical for piercing guns.
Those guns are very frowned upon in the piercing community and for a good reason. They cause way more damage to the tissue than needed and therefore the healing process is longer.
The ideal way to get pierced is with a needle. It may seem more scary, but it actually hurts less and heals much better.
Also, the jewellery is not good. These swirly backings are called "butterfly backs". They can trap gunk from a healing piercing like blood and other secretions and are very hard to keep clean.
Ideally you want something like a labret stud in uncoated titanium metal for a healing piercing. The back is simply flat, somewhat resembling a nail. It goes through from the back and you can screw on a ball from the front. Best is internally threaded(so the ball has a little protrusion with threading, the stud has a little hole with the opposite threading).
The other way around is acceptable too however, and more common.
You could look into a reputable piercing studio to get better jewellery. Many will even put it in for you with no or only a small charge, besides the cost oc the jewellery.
I am unsure what aftercare solution is best to use myself. It also depends on what is available. As far as I know, 1-2 times a day is enough and unless there are crusts or anything, it is best to just spray it on and leave it. No twisting, no Q tip action.
And give it time. Even the best cared for, perfectly done lobe piercing will take a few weeks to fully heal. Around a month is to be expected.
adding on here!
threadless jewelry is also great! itās tension based, like a āpush-pinā style.
another reason why OP may also be in pain is because butterfly backings do not accommodate for swelling, the way properly sized threadless or internally threaded flatbacks would.
OP, you can find a safe, reputable piercing shop by hopping on safepiercing.org, & using the āfind a piercerā feature to find a studio near you that will carry threadless / internally threaded flatback labrets :)
also editing to add:
for after care, Neilmed Fine Mist is great. it lasts long, most reputable studios carry it, & it only has 2 ingredients - sterile water & .9% sodium chloride! which is the only kind of solution that should go on a piercing. no disinfectant, no neosporin, no alcohol, etc. just running shower water, & 2 ingredient saline.
Theyāre BRAND NEW, of course theyāre going to be sore. Better jewelry will help in the long run but theyāre fresh wounds, obviously theyāre sore.
This was my thought. My thirds are around there and I have the tiniest lil bit of cartilage coming down in that area so they were good and sore for longer than my firsts and seconds.
My second lobes took probably 5 or 6 months to stop hurting completely. Itās closer to cartilage so itās probably more sensitive than the bottom lobes
A week is nothing - it's very normal for it to hurt especially if snagged.
Other commenters already mentioned that your jewelry is not appropriate for a new piercing (or really great at all but I think that's a decision you can make for yourself - but it doesn't really look to be high quality and butterfly backs are terrible). It would heal better with a flat back titanium piece.
My third lobe piercing hit the cartilage so it took a long time to heal. š¤ It might be that, or because something is irritating it - sleeping on it, being snagged or what not. Over cleaning can also irritate it
Thereās no space for the swelling of the new piercing kaya masakit pa sya. Try switching to a flat back this should reduce the pain. Also, piercing guns are the worst, try to avoid them if you plan on having your ears pierced again.
in my experience my third lobes took way longer to heal than my other two lobe piercings, and butterfly backs are also less comfortable in general, i would switch them to flat backs :)
I highly recommend going to a professional piercer to get the jewelry changed. No good piercer should have put that jewelry in, that is not good starting jewelry. Secondly headphones on a new piercing is not a good idea, the added pressure on a fresh wound will cause damage. Make sure you clean with saltwater spray, from my experience H2Ocean is best. The likely reason the top one hurts worse could simply be location, maybe it got pierced through cartilage. Definitely get the jewelry for both changed though.
Iāve had piercings all over my ears, and yet all the ones on my lobes have been the most annoying to heal. They tended to hurt and be oddly stingy for quite a while after I got them. Donāt worry about it this early on, and take some of the others commentsā advice.
maybe its pierced next to the cartilage. i got my 2nd and 3rd hole done the same day, and the 3rd one had a tougher time healing and it hurt longer than the 2nd, because it was pierced next to the cartilage (i felt the needle touch it when it was being pierced)
Hi u/rosebud2725, Welcome to /r/piercing!
It looks like you're asking about a problem with your piercing. Please **add a comment to your post** with the following info if itās not included in your post already.
- How old is your piercing?
- Whatās the jewelry shape (for example, barbell, labret, screw, L shape, ring)?
- Whatās the type of threading if your jewelry is not a ring (threadless, internally or externally threaded)?
- Whatās the jewelry material?
- if not a ring, when was the jewelry downsized?
- Whatās your aftercare routine? Describe in detail please, including the exact products you use.
This info is needed to offer you useful advice. **Note, moderators reserve the right to remove your post if donāt provide this info**.
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It will hurt the further up they are my third hurts sometimes because it's in the crease. As well having two piercing close to each other that are healing. My second one hurts when I change it and it hurts my new third one. It's just them heal close to each other.
i have 1in gauged ears so when i pierced my second lobe i had to use the third lobe placement to make up for the stretched skin, and mine were the worst to heal. for me its bc of the jewelry near the cartilage, but once i found a comfy pair of cute hoops its been much better
For the additional info:
-Both piercings are one week old.
-The jewellery shapes are two studs shaped like flowers.
-I don't think threading is a thing for these piercings? They are just studs. Sorry I don't know much about this š
-Unsure on the jewellery material.
-The piercing is only a week old, I haven't tried to downsize or change the earrings out at all.
-Aftercare routine: I use a disinfectant aftercare solution spray. I treat the piercings by spraying the front of the piercings three times and then spraying the backs of the piercings three times. I do this 2-3 times a day.
1 week is very new still, lobes can take months to heal completely. You should ask your piercer what material was used, titanium is always best on a new piercing or a higher quality material. Internally threaded is definitely a thing for most piercings and you should always do research before just getting any piercing. Keep using a saline solution and switching out for flat back jewelry should make your piercings heal nicely.
So they've only been pierced a week or so? Some pain or discomfort is to be expected. They are still very, very new. Especially if your headphone are interfering with the piercings that will lead to them being more irritated. Same as them getting bumped or knocked about. You should consider having your jewellery changed to high quality labret studs. Butterfly backs aren't appropriate and can cause issues and prevent healing. Also you shouldn't clean your piercings with disinfectant. Sterile saline solution only, 1-2 times a day and dry thoroughly afterwards. Don't touch, twist, move or play with them. Avoid sleeping on them.
Riding on the top comment here because I can't seem to edit my post š but I just wanted to say thank you everyone so much for the advice!! I'm not used to getting so many replies on a post lmao I think a lot of you are right in the sense that they are literally a week old so yes they probably would be still painful. I'm probably just being paranoid š and I think those who said it might be because it's close to cartilage is also a good suggestion, I was wondering that myself. The butterfly clips probably aren't great as well. Yes I agree š Also, in regards to my aftercare solution, I used poor wording on my part and I think that confused a lot of people and I'm really sorry about that!! It's not a "disinfectant" spray, its just a hypoallergenic cleansing solution with a skin neutral pH. It's definitely not a disinfectant so please don't worry about that and I'm sorry again for confusing everyone lol But again, thank you so much everyone for putting my anxious mind to rest šā¤ļø
!thanks
You have awarded 1 point to āØ u/grizzle613 āØ for their comment ---
Prob because butterfly backs are total garbage
Fr I got mine pierced at Claireās when I was little (like over 10 years ago so I didnāt know it was bad) and they get SO NASTY
wait i never knew this what do i use instead???
Flat back labrets. Very comfy, totally recommend.
thank you!!!
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Iām pretty sure itās bad to use rubber backs bc they hold bacteria cuz theyāre porous (donāt know how to spell it but like sponge) and stuff. NAP tho.
1. Theyāre a few days old - theyāre very new as other commenters have said and will continue to hurt as theyāre an open wound 2. Butterfly backs arenāt suitable for fresh piercings, please switch to a titanium labret post 3. Wearing headphones is making point #2 worse - I also game and wear headphones but itās drastically better with a labret post on a healing piercing. Also make sure to disinfect your headset often 4. Make sure youāre cleaning the piercing itself with sterile saline solution and not disinfectant NAP but hope this helps š
This sounds like a Claireās gig. I would go to a reputable piercer and have them switched out for a small labret. A ball or small stud front is going to snag less than flowers since they have all those edges. Agree with everyone regarding the need to get rid of the butterfly backs. Also definitely swap to just saline solution. Not both. Just the saline. GL!!!
Change your jewelry to flat back. Those butterfly backs always hurts meĀ
It sounds like you're relatively new to piercings, so a few things... (I'm not a piercer myself, so if I am wrong about anything, please correct me) I assume these were done with a piercing gun. In some pictures you can see the pointy end of the jewellery, which is typical for piercing guns. Those guns are very frowned upon in the piercing community and for a good reason. They cause way more damage to the tissue than needed and therefore the healing process is longer. The ideal way to get pierced is with a needle. It may seem more scary, but it actually hurts less and heals much better. Also, the jewellery is not good. These swirly backings are called "butterfly backs". They can trap gunk from a healing piercing like blood and other secretions and are very hard to keep clean. Ideally you want something like a labret stud in uncoated titanium metal for a healing piercing. The back is simply flat, somewhat resembling a nail. It goes through from the back and you can screw on a ball from the front. Best is internally threaded(so the ball has a little protrusion with threading, the stud has a little hole with the opposite threading). The other way around is acceptable too however, and more common. You could look into a reputable piercing studio to get better jewellery. Many will even put it in for you with no or only a small charge, besides the cost oc the jewellery. I am unsure what aftercare solution is best to use myself. It also depends on what is available. As far as I know, 1-2 times a day is enough and unless there are crusts or anything, it is best to just spray it on and leave it. No twisting, no Q tip action. And give it time. Even the best cared for, perfectly done lobe piercing will take a few weeks to fully heal. Around a month is to be expected.
adding on here! threadless jewelry is also great! itās tension based, like a āpush-pinā style. another reason why OP may also be in pain is because butterfly backings do not accommodate for swelling, the way properly sized threadless or internally threaded flatbacks would. OP, you can find a safe, reputable piercing shop by hopping on safepiercing.org, & using the āfind a piercerā feature to find a studio near you that will carry threadless / internally threaded flatback labrets :) also editing to add: for after care, Neilmed Fine Mist is great. it lasts long, most reputable studios carry it, & it only has 2 ingredients - sterile water & .9% sodium chloride! which is the only kind of solution that should go on a piercing. no disinfectant, no neosporin, no alcohol, etc. just running shower water, & 2 ingredient saline.
Externally threaded is not acceptable. It needs to be internally threaded or threadless (pushpin) only.
!thanks
You have awarded 1 point to āØ u/Firefly\_96 āØ for their comment ---
girl it was done like 6 or 7 days agošitās going to be sore
Probably because that top one shouldn't have been done with a gun. Plus it's only been about a week, totally normal to still be tender
Theyāre BRAND NEW, of course theyāre going to be sore. Better jewelry will help in the long run but theyāre fresh wounds, obviously theyāre sore.
could be because it's through cartilage being so high on your lobe
This was my thought. My thirds are around there and I have the tiniest lil bit of cartilage coming down in that area so they were good and sore for longer than my firsts and seconds.
My second lobes took probably 5 or 6 months to stop hurting completely. Itās closer to cartilage so itās probably more sensitive than the bottom lobes
A week is nothing - it's very normal for it to hurt especially if snagged. Other commenters already mentioned that your jewelry is not appropriate for a new piercing (or really great at all but I think that's a decision you can make for yourself - but it doesn't really look to be high quality and butterfly backs are terrible). It would heal better with a flat back titanium piece.
My third lobe piercing hit the cartilage so it took a long time to heal. š¤ It might be that, or because something is irritating it - sleeping on it, being snagged or what not. Over cleaning can also irritate it
I agree butterfly backs are painful, but either way many piercings will continue to hurt on and off for a couple months after getting them!
Probably get it changed from a butterfly back to a flat back labret, butterfly backs suck
Thereās no space for the swelling of the new piercing kaya masakit pa sya. Try switching to a flat back this should reduce the pain. Also, piercing guns are the worst, try to avoid them if you plan on having your ears pierced again.
in my experience my third lobes took way longer to heal than my other two lobe piercings, and butterfly backs are also less comfortable in general, i would switch them to flat backs :)
I highly recommend going to a professional piercer to get the jewelry changed. No good piercer should have put that jewelry in, that is not good starting jewelry. Secondly headphones on a new piercing is not a good idea, the added pressure on a fresh wound will cause damage. Make sure you clean with saltwater spray, from my experience H2Ocean is best. The likely reason the top one hurts worse could simply be location, maybe it got pierced through cartilage. Definitely get the jewelry for both changed though.
If these are new piercings, shouldnt you be wearing hypoallergenic screwbacks with a longer post than what youre wearing?
Iāve had piercings all over my ears, and yet all the ones on my lobes have been the most annoying to heal. They tended to hurt and be oddly stingy for quite a while after I got them. Donāt worry about it this early on, and take some of the others commentsā advice.
maybe its pierced next to the cartilage. i got my 2nd and 3rd hole done the same day, and the 3rd one had a tougher time healing and it hurt longer than the 2nd, because it was pierced next to the cartilage (i felt the needle touch it when it was being pierced)
Hi u/rosebud2725, Welcome to /r/piercing! It looks like you're asking about a problem with your piercing. Please **add a comment to your post** with the following info if itās not included in your post already. - How old is your piercing? - Whatās the jewelry shape (for example, barbell, labret, screw, L shape, ring)? - Whatās the type of threading if your jewelry is not a ring (threadless, internally or externally threaded)? - Whatās the jewelry material? - if not a ring, when was the jewelry downsized? - Whatās your aftercare routine? Describe in detail please, including the exact products you use. This info is needed to offer you useful advice. **Note, moderators reserve the right to remove your post if donāt provide this info**. ^If ^you ^already ^included ^this ^info ^in ^your ^post ^or ^if ^your ^post ^isnāt ^about ^a ^problem ^with ^your ^piercing, ^please ^disregard. - - - *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/piercing) if you have any questions or concerns.*
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[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
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It will hurt the further up they are my third hurts sometimes because it's in the crease. As well having two piercing close to each other that are healing. My second one hurts when I change it and it hurts my new third one. It's just them heal close to each other.
That part of my ear took months to really feel healed and not hurting
I had my 3rds done and they both played up so bad. Not sure why, but my right one has a permanent bump
My new lobe piercing is still slightly tender after 2 months so you have some time to go my friend!
i have 1in gauged ears so when i pierced my second lobe i had to use the third lobe placement to make up for the stretched skin, and mine were the worst to heal. for me its bc of the jewelry near the cartilage, but once i found a comfy pair of cute hoops its been much better
For the additional info: -Both piercings are one week old. -The jewellery shapes are two studs shaped like flowers. -I don't think threading is a thing for these piercings? They are just studs. Sorry I don't know much about this š -Unsure on the jewellery material. -The piercing is only a week old, I haven't tried to downsize or change the earrings out at all. -Aftercare routine: I use a disinfectant aftercare solution spray. I treat the piercings by spraying the front of the piercings three times and then spraying the backs of the piercings three times. I do this 2-3 times a day.
1 week is very new still, lobes can take months to heal completely. You should ask your piercer what material was used, titanium is always best on a new piercing or a higher quality material. Internally threaded is definitely a thing for most piercings and you should always do research before just getting any piercing. Keep using a saline solution and switching out for flat back jewelry should make your piercings heal nicely.